Carbureter for internal-combustion engines.



H. G. FERGUSON. CARBURETER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 9150.1. 1914.

' Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I I I I 1 u N m m wwer H. G. FERGUSON. CABBURETER FOR INTERNAL comsusnowENGINE'S.

Patented Feb. 5,191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. I914- HARRY G. FERGUSON, 0F BELFAST, IRELAND.

CARBURETER FOR IINTERNAL-COIVIIBUS T1011 ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 5, llfijilfim Applicationfiled December 1, 1914.. Serial No. 875,026.

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, HARRY G. FERGUSON, a subj ect of the King of GreatBritain, resid ing at Belfast, Ireland, have invented certain, new anduseful Improvements in and Relating to Carbureters forInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carbureters for internal combustion enginesand has for its object to provide improved methods of and means forobtaining the utmost economy at normal runningor normal power periods,with the greatest possible economy combined with quick readiness (whencold) of power for starting while at the same time giving a maximum ofeconomy for slow running and ready and economical acceleration orincrease of power above the normal power periods when required.

With the present known forms of carbu-' rotors and carbureter controlsthe above noted desirable combination is impossible and to obtainmaximum results in any two of the above mentioned points it is necessaryto sacrifice one or more of the others thereby spoiling the all aroundefficiency of the carbureter. For example, if any of the present knowncarbureters and carbureter controls are set to give maximum economy theneasy starting, acceleration and, what is still more serious, power whencold must be sacrificed while if set to give maximum acceleration andslow running, power when cold and economy at normal running and normalpower periods must be sacrificed and so on. For example an average motorcar of 16 H. P. weighing 25 owt. should average under nearly allconditions 25 miles to the gallon of petrol but if onset the present daycarbureters were set to give this mileage it would be at the sacrificeof some of the'other things mentioned. To get the best compromise fromthe carbureter it is necessary to set it so that the car will only do 18miles to the gallon in order that it may give the required all aroundefiiciency. To make any of themodern carbureters give maximum results ineconomy, it is necessary to make a fixed alteration to the carbureter.It will be obvious that a carbureter control would be of immense valueif it could be so fitted that it would be perfectly automatic in itsaction and also adjustable from the drivers seat, thus enabling thedriver. to get maxi-' mum results in economy and also assisting thecarbureter in its efliciency in the other points mentioned. Such acontrol fitted to the above mentioned size of car would mean a saving ofsomething like seven miles to the gallon of fuel and other valuableadvantages would also be gained. I

A great many forms of control have been designed and fitted but to getbest results from the carbureter with any of these known controls it isnecessary to keep altering it as the throttle is altered because theyare all non-automatic in their action.

Under my invention I provide a control range of the throttle valve orequivalent throttling movements and at greater or less open positions ofthe throttle valve or equivalent the supply of additional air is or maybe simultaneously out ofi or reduced, preferably the supply ofadditional air is simultaneously cut oil or reduced at a predeterminedthrottle position or positions to prevent the engine stopping throughweakness of mixture when running slowly and also simultaneously cut offor reduced at a predetermined throttle position or positions to preventloss of power or waste of fuel when the throttle valve or equivalent isfully opened, or in lieu of or in addition to controlling the air supplyas above indicated I may by similar methods and means auto maticallycontrol the petrol supply in accordance with'the requirements fordifferent positions of throttle opening, admitting less petrol at acertain predetermined range of throttle valve or equivalent movementsand at greater or less open positions of the throttle valve orequivalent giving a proportionate or other predetermined increase in thesupply of petrol in relation to the admission of air to prevent theengine stopping through weakness of mixture when running slowly and alsoto prevent loss of power or waste of fuel when the throttle is fullyopened.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have hereuntoappended explanatory sheets of drawings whereon my invention is appliedto some well known type of carbureters.

Figure 1 is a view of a Zenith carbureter having my improved additionalair control applied thereto.

Fig. 1 is a cross section. on line X-X Fig. 1. 7

Figs. 2 and 3, are respectively sectional side and end views of a Whyte8:. Poppe carbureter having my improved additional air control appliedthereto, and

Fig. dis a sectional side elevation of a S. U. carbureter fitted with myimproved air control.

In the fitting of the control to say the Zenith carbureter andcarbureters of its type, an air inlet pipe a-of properly calculateddimensions for the size of carbureter it is to be used on, is fitted tothe carbureter 1) below the throttle valve '0. Into this pipe a isfitted a piston valve comprising a piston u) or equivalent and air inleta", the piston a or equivalent being controlled from the drivers seat bymeans of a Bowden wire a or equivalent. When the engine is cold and itis desired to get maximum power and easy and quick starting from coldthe piston a is put in a position to cover the air inlet hole a". Whenthe engine warms up the piston a is pulled backward the hole a un--covered and a proper mixture for economical running is thus given. Ifthe control were fitted in this simple way it would give perfect resultsas regards economy, easy starting, etc., but when the throttle valvewould be placed in the full open position to give maximum power, theamount of air drawn through the pipe or tube a would beso great that themixture would be too Weak and the engine would not give off its maximumpower. To give maximum power it is necessary to close the air inlet a,from the drivers seat, and when the throttle would 7 be brought backagain it would be necessary tit) to open the control again to" geteconomy, it will therefore be seen that the control in this form wouldnot be automatic, and under my invention this difficulty is overcome byproviding a shutter d which is connected with and adapted to be moved byand simultaneously with throttle valve 0 and it is so made and set asshown in Fig. 1 that it will when moved as above indicated startcovering the air inlet hole a into the tube a at a proper period, andwhen the throttle c is opened fully the additional air tube a. will, bythis means, be simultaneously closed or partly closed or in lieu thereofthe petrol supply maybe increased in any convenient manner.

When the throttle valve 0 is almost closed for slow running,-there is ofcourse little or no suction on the additional air inlet tube a so thatthe latter does not affect or interfere with slow running even if leftfull open. The carbnreter will then when the engine is hot.automatically give maximum results in the following:easy starting; slowrunning; it fitted to a motor \eh cle, steady running at low car speeds;acceleration; power, whether hot or cold,

and economy. When the engine is cold it is only necessary to close theadditional air inlet (L2 by moving the piston a through the medium ofthe hand control to get maxi: mum results in the above.

As an illustration of the value of the control on this carbureter I maypoint out that while without my control it could be fixed by a certainsize of choke tube and jet to give results in economy equal to 25 milesto the gallon on a certain class of car, the lack of power it woulddevelop whether hot or cold and the difliculties of starting a coldengine would be so great that the car would be quite useless. To makethe engine give satisfactory results when cold and give its proper powerhot or cold it would be necessary to fit jets which would reduce thepetrol consumption approximately 25%; the saving in this instancetherefore by adapting my control is very great. In short the density ofmixture required to enable the engine to be easily started and to iveofi' satisfactory power when cold would e such that the car would onlyaverage 18 miles to the gallon while a hot engine would take asntlicient amount more of air to enable the ear to average 25 miles pergallon without in any way reducing its power provided the air were letin at the proper throttle positions, and under my invention as abovedescribed I provide that the air is let in just in the proper quantitiesand at the proper throttle positions. Similarly and under my inventionthe petrol supply could be controlled in accordance with throttlemovements, and in certain cases this petrol control might be combinedwith my additional air control.

Figs. 2 and 3, show how my control may be titted to say the \Vh te &Poppe carbureter and carburcters of its type. In this case an air inletpipe e of properly calculated dimensions for the size of carbureter itis to be used on is fitted to the carbureter f on top of the adjustingbarrel. Into this-pipe is fitted a piston adapted to cover and uncoveran additional air inlet h, the piston 9 being controlled from thedriver's seat through the medium of a Bowden wire Z or equivalent. \Vhenthe engine is cold and it is desired to get maximum tun lit)

power and easy starting from cold the piston g is put in a position tocover the air inlet hole It. lVhen the engine warms up the piston g ispulled backward, the hole It uncovered and a proper mixture foreconomical running is thus given.

In this carburetor and others of its type I provide that the revolvingthrottle barrel Z through which I cut a slot l to let in the additionalair cuts off or may cut off or reduce the air to enable me to get fullpower at full throttle position and also cuts otl or reduces theadditional air to enable me to lit} get maximum power ,for slow running.The additional air inlet device above described is. provided at itsfront end with another piston m having a hole m therethrough and it isheld in contact with the top of the throttle barrel by a spring m toprevent any leakage of air. The same remarks with regard to the savingof petrol and the eiiiciency of the carbureter in other respects applyto my control on this carbureter and carbureters of its type as they areapplied to the Zf nith. h d f 1 *i 4 showsone met 0 0 ap in myC0l1l31%)l to the S. U. carbureter zihil c rbureters of its type. Inthis case an additional air inlet pipetn of properly calculateddimensions for the size of the carbureter it is to be used on is fittedinto the air piston cylinder 0. Into this pipe 71. is fitted a piston acontrolling an air opening or valve n the piston n" being controlledfrom the drivers seat by means of a Bowden wire p or equivalent. Whenthe engine is cold and it is desired to get maximum power and easy andquick starting from cold the piston n is put in a position to'cover' theair inlet hole n When the engine warms u the piston is pulled backward,the hole a 1s uncovered and a proper mixture for economical running isthus given. To allow the air I to get into 'theengine through my controlfitting, a groove or recess 7 of properly calculated dimensions is outup the air piston 0 from its lower end and a groove or recess 3 ofproperly calculated dimensions is cut down the wall of the cylinder 0from its upper end. To prevent the engine from stopping when runningslowly thegroove e is cut to a properly calculateddength down thecylinder 0 and the-groove ntoa properly calculated length up thepistonfo and when the throttle is set in "the slow running position theair piston falls downward and pre vents air entering through my controlinlet n thus the engine is automaticallyf prevented from stopping.v Asin the fitting of the control to the Zenith? carbureter, to get maximumpower, it is necessarythat my air inlet be reduced or closed ofl .or inlieu* of this the petrol supply at such times may be increased in anyconvenient manner. As the throttle t is opened the air piston .b risesautomatically and after it passes a certain predetermined position,automatically closes oil or reduces the airtional air inlet valve.

The same remarks with regard to the sav- 7 ing of petrol and theefliciency of the carbureter in other respects apply to my control onthis carbureter and carbureters of its type as they are applied to it onthe Zenith.

From the foregoing the immense advantage of this control to the publicwill beport n of my addi of time due to the fact that he only requiresto set the carbureter to give maximum slow running, maximum power,maximum acceler'ation, steady running and easy starting. It is theeffort to obtain economy in conjunction with the other advantages whichtakes the time, and the fitting of my control saves this waste of time,and makes the attaining and maintaining of economy a comparatively easymatter.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A carbureter having, in combination withthe fuel and air inlet and throttle valve therefor, a tubular membercommunicating at one end with the carbureter and provided with an airinlet port in the side thereof, a piston slidable within the pipe andadapted to control the inlet port, a removable cover on the other end ofsaid tubular member,

elastic means interposed between said piston and said cover, meansconnected with said piston whereby same can be moved against saidelastic means, and means movable in a plane transversely to the port andindependent of said piston control whereby the amount of additional airsupplied to the carandan oscillatory shutter connected with the throttlevalve in a plane transverse to said port and moved with said throttlevalve to HARRY Gr. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

Y ANDREW HAMnumN,

EDWARD HAnvEm signature pontrol the inlet port independently of said

